Beaver supports Children of Christmas Past

Beaver supports Children of Christmas Past

Riziero Vertolli / Oakville Beaver

Oakville Beaver receptionist Helena Chartrand, left, is pictured with Children of Christmas Past (COCP) program volunteers Sandra Kersteman and Noah Rutka, 10. For the second year, the Beaver is supporting the program. Residents are invited to stop by our 467 Speers Rd. office to select a tag from the tree bearing a senior’s Christmas wish and return the wrapped gift by Dec. 10 with the tag attached. The gifts will be distributed before Christmas.

There’s a house at 1308 Inglehart Dr. that’s called the heart of the COCP program — the Children of Christmas Past program.

It may be in Burlington, but it is the hub that makes sure seniors across Halton — and beyond — are not forgotten during the Christmas holiday season.

Established 13 years ago, the homegrown program is essentially run out of founder Jill Harrington’s basement, by her, Noah Rutka — Harrington’s 10-year-old son — and a dedicated group of 30 volunteers.

COCP-approved Christmas trees are set up in several locations across the region with tags that include the first names of seniors living in residences or on their own, who don’t usually receive gifts on Christmas morning, and what’s on their wish list — with somewhere between 32-33 trees appearing all over Halton this year.

People visit a tree location, grab a tag, buy and wrap the gift, and then deliver it to Harrington’s front porch where it will then be delivered on Christmas Day.

“You have to see the porch at Christmas,” said Harrington. “The gifts are piled up right over the doorknob (to the front door), down the front porch and in front of the garage and there are two volunteers that are three times a day clearing these gifts and getting them down to the basement.”

The program has grown so large, trees now appear in Georgetown, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton-Wentworth and Caledonia. This year it has even spread to seniors’ residences in Lethbridge and Canmore, Alta. — Halifax, N.S. and Cocoa Beach, Florida chapters will open next year.

Harrington monitors the COCP program out of her car on her mobile phone while on her lunch breaks from working at Tim Hortons corporate office in its new business development department.

She says she originally began COCP after an emotional visit to a local seniors’ facility.

“I saw a lot of seniors standing outside their doors with their walkers and chairs and the director there told me that they were just waiting for visitors and most of them don’t have any coming. It was just heartbreaking,” Harrington said.

Moved by that experience, Harrington decided to ask guests to her Christmas house party in 1999, that rather than bringing a bottle of wine or hostess gift, to bring something a senior might enjoy — she ended up with 75 gifts that first year to donate to local seniors.

Her guests liked the idea so much, the second year, they began asking her what other types of things seniors would like as gifts. At a loss, Harrington started contacting seniors’ residences directly, which would give her wish lists from the residents and that she in turn would send out to friends, family and coworkers.

Once the public became aware of the program through a press release she sent out, COCP grew exponentially and so quickly Harrington began setting up trees and tags to keep everything organized and well-run.

“It’s completely on an honour system, which is what makes it so unique. I can ask the public for almost anything and we’ll get it,” Harrington said, noting she has never had concerns over the contents of the gifts and if they would be dangerous to residents as she examines the lists e-mailed to her before sending out the tags.

The usual items on wish lists include pajamas, soft blankets, toothpaste and shampoo.

“Some even ask for gift cards to restaurants or coffee shops, so that they have something to give to their nurses on Christmas morning,” said Harrington. “It’s hard for them to not have something to give.”

This year, a lot of seniors have asked for lift chairs to help them get around. After catching wind of this, coaches at the Burlington Lions Optimist Minor Hockey Association (BLOMHA) fundraised to buy six chairs at $600 each.

“It was amazing and completely unexpected,” said Harrington. “I’ve been told that the really interesting thing about the program and why organizations and individuals like it is because it’s bringing the communities of little pockets across the region together.”

This year COCP will serve 4,000 seniors, with wish lists still coming in.

Visit www.childrenofchristmaspast.com for a complete list. Currently funded out of Harrington’s own pocket, the COCP program is in the process of attaining its non-for-profit charitable status — a fact that she admits has proven tougher than she’d hoped; a single parent, she says she can only devote so much time and funds to maintaining the program.

Until COCP becomes a registered charity, Harrington says the program is in need of financial donations and sponsors, especially to purchase new signs and trees.

As well, volunteers are always needed and accepted to be porch clearers, sort gifts, for distribution, administration, managing trees and gift collection. Those interested can visit the program’s website.